


Our Long, Full Lives

by SuperbOwl



Series: Our Long, Full Lives [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Bysithea Week 2021, Comedy, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Fluff, Married Life, OC children - Freeform, Post-Golden Deer Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Secret Crush, Slice of Life, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29623533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperbOwl/pseuds/SuperbOwl
Summary: A number of one-shots detailing the happenings of Byleth and Lysithea, going from student and teacher, to comrades-in-arms, and finally to the king and queen of the United Kingdom of Fódlan (in no particular order).
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Lysithea von Ordelia, My Unit | Byleth/Lysithea von Ordelia
Series: Our Long, Full Lives [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2176557
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Baking Troubles

**Author's Note:**

> Originally I had set out to make this series of works for Bysithea week 2021, but then I came to realize that I can use this for any future ideas I have that work by themselves rather than make one-and-done works and clutter things up. Can't promise this will be updated all that often, but if I have any interesting ideas, or anything I feel like I wanna write out, it'll end up going here.  
> Anyway... I will start off with four entries to kick of Bysithea week 2021 that will be uploaded on the appropriate days (I hope). Be sure to check out the Bysithea week Twitter account for more information. The link will be at the end of this first prompt.

Lysithea hurried over to the double doors down the promenade that led to the dining hall, holding the last ingredient she needed for her planned desert, carefully wrapped up in cloth to deflect prying eyes. Her eyes darted from one direction to the other, keen to be sure that no one was around to get curious about what she was doing outside of her usual locations of the library or the reception hall. For what she wanted to do, she didn't want anyone's assistance for the task at hand... or any moochers for that matter. The cake she had in mind had to be made by her hands alone.

Perhaps the small amount of paranoia may have been much, but a special day was approaching. Professor Byleth's birthday was tomorrow, and Claude was doing his best to keep it hidden from their teacher that they were planning anything at all, wanting to surprise the stoic man. Hilda concocted the idea that the Golden Deer should throw a surprise party for him, and everyone was to chip in and get him a gift along with whatever food they could get their hands on. A collective effort that the class agreed on, but Lysithea wanted to go a little further.

In the few months that she had known him, she had come to greatly appreciate the treatment he had given her. He acknowledged the effort she put into her work rather than credit her twin Crests for being mostly responsible for it, and never once looked down upon her as a child, unlike many of the other students. With that in mind she wanted to make his special day even better by delivering to him a personal gift to show her happiness about having his respect, and what better way to do so than with sweets made by her own hand?

She planted a shoulder on one of the doors and nudged it open, glancing around the spacious hall for any sign of another presence. Satisfied that there was no one present, especially considering she had asked the chefs for privacy during this time, she slid herself inside and shut the door behind her.

Away from potentially any curious passersby, she now calmly walked over to the countertop behind the buffet table where the remaining ingredients resided. Eggs, flour, milk, sugar, oil, along with the utensils she needed to begin courtesy of the chefs, and the final ingredient that she held in her hand. She daintily unfolded the cloth and revealed the prize inside: a bar of chocolate that she had bought from Anna after some... tense haggling. The merchant had been keen about the price as chocolate was a rarity in Fódlan that had to be imported from Brigid, but it had been worth the effort. She set the chocolate down with the rest of the ingredients and surveyed all she had ready for herself, satisfied that it all came together so well.

That was when she felt her body start to tense up as she bit down on her lower lip, letting out a nervous hum as she went over to grab the recipe sheet. Truth be told, despite her love of sweets she, ironically, never took the time to learn how to bake them herself. So focused on her ultimate goal of dissolving her House that she shrugged off needing to learn the skill, not seeing any way how being a baker would help to accomplish that goal. She never wanted to admit aloud about her shortcoming, so she met with the head chef privately to arrange for the dining hall to be vacant so that no one would have to know. So far, everything had went well, but it was one thing to set everything up, and entirely another to execute it.

Swallowing the nervous lump in her throat, she steeled herself and set to work. First she set about lighting the oven up by shooting a simple fire spell inside, albeit a weak one as to not launch the fuel inside in her face. The oven blazed to life inside, shooting several flares out that she managed to avoid by strafing before it settled down to a more workable level.

She headed back to the countertop, rolled up her sleeves, and heft the bag of flour up into her arms. It was a lot heavier than she thought it was, as evidence by her knees feeling as though they were going to buckle any moment under the pressure. Carefully as she could, she poured the flour into her mixing bowl, but the sudden shift of weight leaving the bag caused her to inadvertently spill some in front of her, the dust billowing into the air and powdering her uniform a faint white. She groaned aloud at her blunder as things were starting off poorly for her.

Why must flour weigh so much?! She took a moment to collect herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose. There wasn't any point in getting upset over something that was her fault for rushing and not measuring it out beforehand.

She looked over her recipe sheet again, and this time brought over a cup to pour in the amount of water as specified by it. Setting it aside, she brought over a pitcher and went over to dip it into a nearby bucket full of water, this time taking care to only fill it up to the point where she could comfortably walk with it. Once she felt it starting to get heavy in her hands, she brought the pitcher close to her chest and poured its contents into the cup, and fortunately not repeating her prior mistake. However the cup did not reach the full amount, and she returned back for a second trip whilst rolling her eyes. She would have to get in touch with the professor about improving her physical strength at some point soon.

With the water in the flour now, she took three of the eggs and cracked them against the edge of the counter with enough force to not have the yolks becoming a splattered mess in her hand. One after another she broke the shells and dumped their contents into her mix before all three were in there, orbs of yellow sitting atop a layer of mush. Once that was complete she poured a smaller portion of milk into the batter, made significantly easier by virtue of a smaller container for it. 

With nothing wrong happening with the remaining mixture, she located a small stool off on the other side of the counter. Owing to her height, she needed the extra boost to not make her next step awkward for her. Gritting her teeth at her vertically-challenged state, she placed a pot on top of the stove that was lit from before, and afterward taking a knife out of one of the drawers and brought her chocolate to the cutting board. As she looked upon it she could feel her mouth beginning to salivate, wanting to indulge in the delicacy, but was forced to resist the urge as it was not meant for her... though she did hope the professor would share a slice or many. With some effort she chopped the bar into more workable pieces, then placed them into a separate bowl that would fit into the pot and allow the chocolate to melt.

While waiting for the chocolate she grabbed a mixing spoon from a drawer and went to stirring her batter. So far everything was going well with her baking if she ignored her spillage from before. A part of her greatly wanted to try out the cake once it was finished as, if everything continued as it was, it would be her first culinary success. She contemplated how Professor Byleth would react to trying it for himself, pondering if she might get one his rare smiles from how delectable it would be. She could practically visualize it in her head, how soft and warm that smile was compared to the normally cold, stony exterior that she and everyone else knew him for. It was enough that her heart began to beat a little bit faster at the sight and...

Oh focus, Lysithea! You don't have time for these childish fantasies!

Every now and then she would glance over to the chocolate to see its progress with some amount of urgency. Her arms were growing tired from the constant stirring, and she still needed to add the chocolate into it. When she couldn't take it anymore, she set the bowl down and gave her exhausted arms a short break. She walked over and checked the chocolate again and smiled as it had now melted completely and was ready to go. She reached to grab the bowl, but quickly retracted when she realized she might very well burn herself, so after a quick search through the drawers she found a pair of gloves and slipped them on. Now protected, she once more stepped up onto the stool and took the pot into her covered hands.

“Ah!” she shouted, having underestimated just how hot the pot had become, the gloves not doing enough to shield her as she instantly discovered. She lost her grip on the pot as she stumbled backward, a loud and metallic ringing echoing through the hall while the stool leaned with her and causing her to fall back. Her mind blanked out as she fell, until the back of her head made full contact with the countertop behind her, sending jolts of pain throughout her tiny frame as she let out a pained yell. The force of the collision was strong enough that the bowl she set down jostled enough to crash to the floor, spilling out its contents and making a large, ugly streak with some of it getting on her hand.

All Lysithea could do was sit on the floor as her head throbbed, and her vision blurring somewhat. She didn't dare move up, just desiring to remain still in her spot as she placed a hand on the lump that was beginning to form, stinging a bit from the simple contact. She looked over to the splattered batter on the floor with dismay, her work and effort now nothing more than a mess to be cleaned. The air started to be filled with the revolting scent of burning chocolate, with traces of smoke growing slowly thicker the longer she sat on the floor recovering.

She wanted to cry with how the day was going, but all she could do was chide and berate herself over wasting all that effort she made. The haggling for the chocolate which was now ruined, the surprising and tiring struggle that it was to get the batter prepared for the oven. All of it gone now, and now she would have to do it all over again. The batter she could at least redo, but the chocolate... she had already spent some of what she had for it, in addition to what she contributed to the group, and had little gold of her own left now.

She stared at the floor with knitted brows, trying to come up with some way to salvage all this. Perhaps the chefs would have something stored away that could help her out.

“Oh goodness!” she heard a soft voice exclaim from the direction of the doorway. “What happened here?!” Having been at the monastery long enough, she recognized the owner of the voice as Mercedes. Though she couldn't see her, she could hear the much older girl jog over until she came around the counter, where she gasped at Lysithea lying on the floor, dazed and depressed. “Lysithea! Are you okay?!”

“Mercedes...” she utter slowly. She was coherent enough to lift her unoccupied arm and point toward the pot of burning chocolate. “Take... that off before something worse happens.”

As if somehow having completely forgotten the smell, Mercedes rapidly turned to remind herself of the danger and rushed over to the drawers, finding one with apparent practice precision, and pulling out a pair of gloves that appeared to be much more insulated than the ones that still covered Lysithea's. Carefully the pious woman lifted the smoking stove and placed it on the one next to it. She briefly swatted away at the smoke before removing her gloves and putting them on counter.

“Here Lysithea,” said Mercedes, kneeling down next to the white-haired girl. “Let me see your injury.”  
Lysithea, reluctantly, did as requested, now humiliated that someone saw her in such a state. She leaned far enough forward for Mercedes to assess the wound, the woman humming as Lysithea uncovered it. “Oh! That's quite a lump you have there. Don't worry, a little healing magic and it will be gone in no time!” Lysithea let out a grumble as she felt like she was being babied by Mercedes, but said nothing otherwise as she was grateful that someone arrived to mildly ease her predicament. The last thing she wanted was for the oven to catch fire and being engulfed in the flames.

Mercedes closed her eyes as her hands began to glow a brilliant white before putting them on Lysithea's wound. It was a warm, soothing touch as the magic slowly spread around her injury, the pain subsiding gradually while the rest of her began to relax as the shock faded away. The lump decreased in size at the same rate as the pain, until finally it disappeared, the patient breathing a sigh of relief when it did.

The older woman pulled away her arms and stood above Lysithea. “There you are, as if nothing happened at all.” She then extended her hand to her. “Let me help you up.”

Knowing that she could manage, but not wanting to appear ungrateful, Lysithea took her hand and she was helped back to her feet. Lysithea instinctively rubbed the now healed spot to ensure it was gone with her clean hand.

“Thank you for the timely aid, Mercedes,” said Lysithea as she removed the messy glove from her hand and patted off what flour dust she could from her uniform. “You must have heard me yell out when I tripped.”

“Actually it was the burning smell that brought me here,” Mercedes admitted as she clasped her hands in front of her waist. “I was on my way to the cathedral to pray when I began to smell smoke and burnt chocolate. I didn't hear any movement inside, so I decided it would be best if I saw what was happening, and that's when I saw you on the floor!” Mercedes took a brief moment to see the rest of the mess that was around her. “Are you baking, Lysithea?”

“I 'was' baking,” she corrected, letting out a groan as she slowly wiped her hand down her face. “Now I'm going to have to start all over again, and I won't be able to use the chocolate anymore!”

“If I may, why are you baking?”

Lysithea crossed her arms in annoyance. No point in hiding what she was doing now that she had been discovered, and she supposed Mercedes should at least know as a way to return the favor of healing her. “If you must know I'm trying to make a cake for Professor Byleth for his birthday.”

“That's a wonderful idea!” exclaimed Mercedes, her face beaming. “I need to do something for him as well!” That was when Mercedes looked around the dining hall for the first time and realized something was amiss. “So why is there no one here? It would have saved you a lot of bother.”

Lysithea glared down at the floor. “It was meant to be a secret... I wanted to surprise him, and I did not want to risk someone informing him before I had a chance to deliver it to him.”

“Do you want my help? I know quite a lot about baking, and together we can make sure it comes out right.”

Lysithea shook her head, apprehensive of the idea. “I have to do this on my own. I want it to be a personal gift to him to show him how much I appreciate what he's done for me.” She ended it off with a light blush across her face as her cheeks grew slightly warmer. Mercedes giggled, noticing the shade of Lysithea's cheeks turning pink, and it only made them pinker. “Wh-what's so funny?! There's absolutely no other reason why I'm doing this for him!”

“I understand, Lysithea,” she replied, making no hint at all about any assumptions about the girl's flustered state. “It is always more meaningful when you gift something like this to someone when it's made by your own hand. However...” Mercedes scanned around their area with some amount of concern. “The chefs may not like what becomes of their kitchen if another accident were to occur.”

“I...!” Lysithea began to protest, but thought better as Mercedes had a point. If her first attempt ended so horribly, she worried how long she'd be here until she was met with success. “I suppose you're right, but I still want to do it on my own. Perhaps you could simply observe while I work, and offer advice as we go along? After all, you are the more experienced one among us.”

“I would be happy to, Lysithea! With us working together, I'm sure you're cake will turn out splendidly!”

“That being said...” Lysithea examined what still remained of the mess. It was going to take some time to clean it all up and be ready to start over. Before that, she went over to take her jug and went to fill it with water from a bucket nearby to douse the flames still burning in the oven. “I need to get this cleaned up before I begin again. And now I don't have any chocolate to add to it...”

“Oh don't worry about that!” assured Mercedes. “I can get you some more.”

Lysithea turned to her with curious brows raised. “What do you mean?”

“There's a baker in town that I know pretty well. He and I share advice and recipes, and he supplies me with the materials I need at a discount. I'm sure he'll provide you with more once I explain what it's going to be used for.”

“I... appreciate that, Mercedes!” replied Lysithea, her spirits lifting at the offer. “But I don't want to accept that unless there is some way I can return the favor to you.”

Mercedes looked quizzically at her. “You don't have to return the favor, Lysithea. I'm happy to do this for you.”

Lysithea furrowed her brows. “I'm not a child, Mercedes, and I hate having others do something for me for free as though I am one. There must be something that you could use my help with.”

“Well, if you're insisting I suppose I'll take you up on it...” Mercedes brought her hand to rest her cheek on the open palm as she pondered. “Let me think... perhaps you could help me with reason magic? I would like to be better able to protect my friends, and you're the smartest person I know when it comes to that. Is that okay?”

Lysithea managed to relax, and even smiled a bit at the request. “If that's what you truly want, then I would be happy to assist you in that endeavor.”

Mercedes smiled. “Wonderful! I will be looking for to it then!”

“Right. Now that that is settled, let's not dally any longer. I will begin cleaning up here, while you meet with the baker in town and acquire more chocolate.”

“I'll be back as soon as I can!” Mercedes hurried over to the door opposite where she came in and took her leave, closing the door behind her.

Lysithea breathed a sigh of relief once the woman had left. She was glad it was Mercedes of all people that found her in her predicament. She knew that she had prior experience with baking, but had hoped that she wouldn't need to call upon her aid in making a cake for the professor. Not only that, but Mercedes's personality was as such that she always wanted to help others, and Lysithea feared she would want to get directly involved with the process. Thankfully she would take a supervisory role instead to ensure that the second attempt would go much more smoothly.

I'll have to remind her to keep what happens here a secret. 

With the replenishment of chocolate no longer a problem, Lysithea searched around for a scrub brush and cleaning soap in one of the distant cupboards. She would start on the floor first, then move on to the pot. Hopefully by the time Mercedes returned she would be done, and she could immediately begin, eager to make the most delicious chocolate cake that Professor Byleth will have ever had.


	2. Dancing with a Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Garreg Mach Ball, and everyone's having fun... except for Lysithea. There's only one person she truly wants to dance with, and she doesn't think she'll have that chance...

It was rather odd to see the reception hall the way it was like this. All the long tables and benches had been removed to accommodate the circular tables, each one covered with silk clothes, milky white and soft to the touch, that just barely hung over the floor, along with a pair of candles the flickered gently from side to side, and vases each filled with a few flowers that were most assuredly pulled from the monastery's greenhouse. They all encompassed the center of the hall to allow for the most spacious area possible for the students to dance in as the ball went under way.

The room was brilliantly illuminated by the pair of massive chandeliers high above, the only time Lysithea had seen them lit as opposed to the usual torches that kept the area satisfactorily aglow at night, but now their sconces were barren. The Mittlefrank Company's orchestra from the Empire, situated in front of the northern exit, had been hired out to fill the hall with its magnificent music, playing slow songs that the students could waltz to. The sounds from the orchestra echoed throughout the hall, a small portion of it drowned out by the idle whispers from the surrounding students, some engaging in small talk, others, mostly the boys, seeking partners to dance with. Still, with how loud the music was, she was sure that if she were back in her dorm room she would still be able to hear its muffled melodies.

Speaking of the students, many of them were out on the floor dancing away and enjoying their evening, many of them nobles as they put a part of the social aspect of their upbringing to good use. Some of them bore faces of contentment, though she noticed a few who appeared to be nervous, both boys and girls. Meanwhile, many of those who couldn't find partners to dance with simply stood around, more-or-less waiting for their chance to be on the dance floor, or waiting for the song to change and have the group already there rotate out.

The former was her current predicament, partly by choice, and partly because as of yet no one had asked to dance with her. She was a little further back from the center of the room, surrounded by other students, but still at least close enough to be noticed by someone. Yet so far all she had been able to do tonight was stand around sipping at her champagne as she quietly watched her peers enjoy themselves with a modicum of disdain. It's not as if she wanted to dance with them, although she would accept an offer if only to not appear snobbish and oblige the requester, but no one had bothered as of yet, not even making a few passing glances at her to show any sort of interest.

She already assumed why this was the case. None of the boys wanted the embarrassment of stepping onto the dance floor with someone who would look like their little sister. The very idea would be enough to drive people away, to be gossiped about behind their back as they point and snickered and mock them for dancing with a child. It wouldn't matter if they had danced with other taller, older appearing girls, the social stigma from dancing with someone so short and young was enough for them to search elsewhere for a dance partner.

It's not as though I wished attend this anyway... 

If she had her way she would rather be in the library or in her room studying or researching, but not attending would have been noticed, and who knows how far that teasing would spread. So she felt obligated to attend as to not appear like an outcast, the Ordelia “heiress” who didn't attend the monastery's annual ball. Her House was already in such a bad way; it's reputation and status didn't need to be tarnished further. Her parents had already suffered enough.

So she was forced to stand and observe as others got to indulge in shuffling around on the floor and be gawked at by their peers. As of right now, she could see some of her classmates from the Golden Deer dancing with several others, though notably she could see that Claude and Hilda were waltzing in unison with those around them. Both appeared to be enjoying themselves, and she wasn't at all surprised by it considering how inseparable the two seemed to be. Further out she noticed that Lorenz was dancing with Marianne, which did surprise her. She didn't think the latter would have been willing to dance with anyone, and would have just spent her time in some corner of the room sulking and turning anyone who asked away. Another shock was in seeing Ignatz of all people on the floor with Petra, the Brigid girl noticeably being led by the bespectacled boy. Even from her distance see could clearly see that Ignatz was fighting back his nervousness of dancing with a girl, while Petra appeared to be completely oblivious to it and was simply content to live in the moment.

The attention of many of the onlookers was, however, primarily focused on the two royal heirs to their respective thrones that were waltzing in the center of the room. Edelgard and Dimitri made for an unusual pair of partners, especially given their significant height difference, yet both of them were not out of step despite it. What was most odd was just how well the two of them seem to flow together, as though they had been doing this sort of thing with each other for a long period of time. Not that she was an expert on the subject, but it did lead her to wonder if they might have had some history prior to coming to Garreg Mach.

None of that matter for the students around her though. They were all too busy whispering to each other over the implications of the crown prince of Faerghus dancing with the the Imperial princess of the Adrestian Empire.

“Always had a feeling the prince had his eye on the princess!”

“They probably sneak off to go kiss each other!”

“I wonder if they're going to make a vow at the Goddess Tower...”

All she could do in response was roll her eyes at how childish they were acting. Just because the two heirs were dancing together did not mean they had any sort of romantic interest in each other, but she relented that there was no use in pointing that out. If they wanted to believe in their own little fantasies about those two, let them. They would prefer to live in their own little worlds rather than hear her counter it anyway, and considering what age a majority of them were, no doubt their hormones were controlling the better part of their brain functions when those functions could be put to better use honing their skills, and not for frivolous romances.

All that aside, she knew it would be somewhat hypocritical to say anything regardless. She had own feelings for her very own professor, thought about him on occasion, and always found her heart beating faster whenever it was just the two of them talking. It was getting to the point that her silly schoolgirl crush was starting to become a distraction in her work. Sure his praise for her ethic was partly what drove her on anyway, but in recent weeks she found her mind wandering to him while she worked or researched.

Still, she kept her feelings to herself for a multitude of reasons, none the least of which would have been the inevitable teasing from the other students about how taboo and cliché those feelings were. For more selfish reasons, she worried that if he even felt that way at all about her. She doubted it however, not because he may not be interested, but because, as someone who went through his entire life without a hint of emotion until recent months, he might not even know what “feelings” were. It made for a puzzling situation, but the longer she froze on the matter, the more her own feelings and thoughts would plague her as her fear of the outcome should she tell him held her hostage.

The whispers around her grew louder, and more astonished than before, breaking her out of her concentration to see what the commotion was about this time. That was when her eyes went wide and her mouth formed an “o” at the sight of the princess having changed partners with none other than Professor Byleth. It was honestly the first time she had seen him out on the dance floor, never once suspecting that he even knew how to. Yet there he was, carrying himself quite well with Edelgard, who was superbly keeping in step in one of the rare instances where she let someone else have the lead.

“The princess and Professor Byleth?!”

“I didn't know he could dance!”

“I hear she's taken a liking to him...”

“He is pretty easy on the eyes. I'm not surprised she's fond of him.”

“Maybe he's fond of her? Ooooh, a teacher in a relationship with a house leader!”

“You think so?”

Lysithea stifled a disgusted sigh so as not to draw attention to herself, the sheer audacity of them to once again believe in their own fantasies about any sort of romantic dalliances between two people just because they were dancing with each other. They barely even knew the professor, and to hear them talk so slanderously about him was just raising her blood pressure. He was simply dancing with Edelgard because he wanted to as he took interest in the students he taught, moreso the Golden Deer than the others, but from what she understood he was somewhat close with all three house leaders. This was just an example of the kind of friendship he had with one of them.

Yet she could not shake the feeling of jealousy and want as her heart sank watching the two of them dance together. If there was any person at the ball that she absolutely wanted a dance with, it was the professor, and now that she knew that he was willing to do so with one student, her desire for that dance with him emerged. It was especially vexing with the girls around her pining for that same desire, each of them wanting to be seen dancing with the young, handsome, and mysterious Professor Byleth. And they would likely get their chance before she ever did. She was short and less mature-looking than the other girls. Why would the professor be tempted to partner up with her and invite the mockery of others?

She averted her gaze from the pair, staring down at some spot on the floor in melancholy as she crossed her arms. She cursed her appearance for being the way it was while other girls had more to spare in certain areas. She had to wonder if her physical growth may have been stunted by her twin Crests. There was no way to prove that, but the idea was enough for her to hate them even more than she already did. First a shortened lifespan, then a small frame? Life was indeed very cruel, and now it was taking another simple joy she might have had away from her.

Unwilling to look back on the floor to see what next grown girl he would be dancing with, she began to turn to leave, but halted once the excited gasps of the girls near her grew in volume. She turned around to see what was getting them so worked up when she saw the professor coming her way! She froze in place with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of it, but the girls around her were fidgeting in place as he calmly made his way toward them, tossing their hair about and adopting cute poses as he drew near.

Once he had reached them the girls nearby began to crowd around him, each one asking over the other if they could dance with them. The professor paused briefly as he looked at them in surprise and confusion, rotating his head around as though he were only just now noticing them. He politely asked to excuse him before making his way through them and within mere inches of Lysithea. The short girl looked up at him in awe, her body unable to move save for her swift breathing as her heart pounded in her chest. When she made eye contact, he was wearing his trademark stony expression for a moment, leaving the poor girl in suspense about what was about to happen.

Slowly his lips began to curl into a soft smile as he extended an inviting hand out to her as the astonishment of the denied girls was made known by how they looked on in disbelief. Lysithea was too stunned to notice them, nor the many more shocked faces that surrounded them.

“Lysithea,” he said. His voice was quiet yet it commanded attention, and she could hear it clearly despite the music that echoed throughout. “Would you like to dance?”

It took a moment for the question to register in her mind as she had been too focused on her racing heart. Professor Byleth was really asking her to dance! It was unbelievable! Her face felt hot as the color of her cheeks went rosy, enough of an answer for everyone around them to cease their prattling, wondering if she would acquiesce to his request. The heat from her face spread through her body, and she found herself speechless as a lump had built up in her throat. Was this what nervousness felt like?

A darker thought crossed her mind as she fumbled for an answer. Could it be that he was just asking her out of pity? To not make her feel bad that she didn't get a turn, like some child that always got picked last for a game? If that were the case, then acceptance be damned. She would rather storm away in indignation and let him have a few choice words, even if it was the professor she admired. She wouldn't tolerate that from anyone, not even him.

Yet she quickly dismissed that prospect, for she knew him enough to know that whatever he said or did, it was always with clarity of purpose. There was never any dishonest motive, no hidden objective he was ever trying to accomplish. If he wanted to have tea with someone for example, it was always for the enjoyment of the act, and not for some ulterior objective. If she didn't trust him as much as she did, she might have believed it to be so, but she felt enough in her heart to know he was genuine about his request.

“O-of course...” she forced herself to reply, swallowing the lump, and bringing out a fresh set of gasps from the crowd. She tentatively reached for his hand and laid it gently onto his gloved one, to which he curled his fingers and held onto it delicately. He began to lead her to the dance floor, her legs following in step before her brain had time to react. He wasn't forceful at all, and he gave enough of a gap between their hands that she could slip out if she decided to, but the thought never crossed her mind. She swiftly caught up with him and now was walking at his side as they entered on the floor. She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see the girls formerly around her appear so dumbfounded that the professor chose her over them. When she faced forward again, she couldn't help but smile smugly.

He suddenly stopped and faced toward her, thinking they had traveled far enough on to the floor. He held out his left hand to the side while the other he placed upon her waist. She nearly jumped in place, having never been touched by him in such a way before, but mustered the strength to avoid it. Falling back to her times practicing dancing with Reginald, someone who was even taller than the professor was, she placed her right hand on his left, and only now realized just how much larger his were in comparison. She placed the other on the middle of his torso, feeling the taut muscles beneath his attire, those of a man who lived all of his life as a mercenary. Once they assumed their positions, the professor took the lead while the delighted girl just followed his lead.

A new song began to play, some sweet and elegant, yet still slow as with all the prior ones. It was something Lysithea was now thankful for in order to maximize the time she got to spend with her dance partner. Her heart had calmed down somewhat along with her anxiety, both replaced by a warm feeling in her breast as she gazed into the eyes of her professor. He had actually come over and asked her to dance, despite the other potential partners that were near her. Just when she had enough of being ignored for everyone else, the popular professor in the Officers Academy, the one person above all others that she would have wanted to dance with, chose her to pair up with. She could easily tell how happy she was by how much her smile was pushing up her cheeks.

And he was doing the same for her. She had noticed it before when he was with Edelgard, about how he seemed to be smiling at her too while they moved together, but there was something about this one that somehow felt different. It seemed to be more vibrant than before, or at least as vibrant as a man who until recently had never smiled in his life, but the way he looked now was mesmerizing. His eyes were calm and half-lidded, his own smile soft and relaxing. It was enough to have her heart resume its normal tempo as she eased into her circumstance, the rush of being picked for a partner by him. It was the same she felt whenever he invited her to tea, with the only difference now being the constant swaying of their bodies as they flowed in rhythm to the music, and a distinct lack of tea and sweets.

As they continued to dance, she finally reached a conclusion to her earlier ponderings, and resolved to tell him about her feelings for him, or at the very least, wanted to gauge to see if he held any sort of interest in her. The way he smiled at her now... it felt as though he was happy to be able to do this with her. It might be possible he felt the same way, though obviously he would never approach her about it. He wasn't a fool; he would know that a teacher being in such a relationship with his student violated so many social standards. Yet she wouldn't be his student forever, and even though... she knew it would never last due to her condition, it would be nice to get to spend those final years with someone that she cared about, assuming he felt the same way.

If nothing else, it would be a weight off her shoulders to have it out there. If he didn't feel the same way, then that would be that. She would be hurt, but she understood he was not obligated to requite her feelings. In fact, she would be completely against if it were such a case. She can handle rejection; toying with her would just be cruel and infuriating. However, if he did feel the same...

She mentally shook her head. She was getting far too ahead of herself. First she had to speak with him alone to avoid embarrassing herself and making either of them uncomfortable. She recalled a couple of the gossipers mentioning the Goddess Tower, and she was aware of the superstition surrounding it on this day. It sounded like the best way to discover how he felt. She just hoped he would go there on his own...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we all know what happened after that xD.


	3. So This is Happiness...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lysithea returns to her quarters after putting her youngest daughter to bed, only to find what she fears most awaiting her there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first ever reveal of my Bysithea OC children! Well, one of them anyway, but at least both of their names are now known. It took a little while to come up with them some time back, but the idea for having two was to correspond to how it has been done in prior games (avatar character has an opposite gender child, and the mother has her own).

It was a quiet night in Derdriu Palace as the pale moonlight poured in through the large window in the nursery, with the only sound being heard was the gentle lapping of the waves off in the distance as the ocean met the shorelines. The curtains had been drawn until they mostly blocked the night, but open just enough that Lysithea would be able to navigate her way out of the room without potentially stumbling over the nearby crib or any of the other furnishings and waking up the little bundle of joy that she was currently cradling comfortably in her arms.

She was at the moment humming a lullaby to her daughter, though at this point she was humming it more to herself than her little girl. It was one that Reginald had used for her so many years ago before her life turned upside-down, and even after that when she was finally released from her imprisonment. It had always helped her calm down enough whenever she couldn't get to sleep, too afraid of the nightmares returning from that horrible time. Now she was doing the same for her baby, only under far better circumstances, one that she swore would never happen to either her baby, or her firstborn daughter.

Loray was only born a year and a month ago and already her hair was coming in and showing how she was more like her father than her, a teal green that matched his hair prior to his merger with the goddess. Even at this age she still gave her the same treatment she had done for her first daughter, Elara, when she was a baby. Whenever she could she would come to the nursery and help her get to sleep whenever there was an opportunity, else the nursemaid would be the one to do so. She much preferred to do it herself, to spend this quiet and private time with her child, for she never recalled ever having the chance to do so with her own mother, robbed of these small, blissful moments by Those Who Slither in the Dark.

Lysithea gazed down at her second child and smiled warmly. Loray looked so peaceful as she slept, the baby silently breathing with her mouth slightly ajar, eyes closed and mind adrift to whatever dreams a baby could have. She found such joy in looking upon her daughters, especially in these private evenings where she could be alone with her child. They had seemed like such an impossibility so long ago, back when she once resigned herself to an early death, to be devoid of any of the joys and challenges that a life beyond her adolescent years would bring. She had wanted a family of her own to fill in the gap left empty by all of her siblings and cousins being sacrificed to the experiments that made her into what she was previously, but felt that it was meant for others and not her due to her condition.

Then Byleth had come into her life, and it was through his dedication to seeing her be rid of her Crests that for the first time in her life she believed there was a chance of freedom. Tirelessly they researched during the war, and with the aid of others they managed to achieve what she once thought impossible. Her feelings for him were cemented by that time, and no longer needing to worry about leaving him behind, confessed those feelings. He had done the same, much to her elation and relief, and their confession led to an engagement, then into marriage, the two of them becoming king and queen of the United Kingdom of Fódlan. Then... the marriage led to a family, her very own family.

She recalled that time when she was pregnant with Elara. As happy as she was to be able to have a child, both she and her husband were filled with anxiety. Both of them worried that there could be some repercussions to the unborn Elara as a result of her Crests being removed, and he specifically feared that Elara would end up a stillborn much like he was before the now late Rhea saved his life. As for her, she had been afraid that the stress on her body from childbirth would be too much to handle, it not being the same as it was without her Crests. She was terrified that she could have died from giving birth to her firstborn, a cruel, and ironic, death after everything she had done to get to that point.

Yet their fears were for naught, as Elara was safely delivered that day, washing away those worries. She could distinctly remember cradling Elara in her arms after she had been cleaned and wrapped in cloth by the clerics, looking upon her as she was now with Loray, her husband sitting at her side with his arm around her shoulders. Elara looked as peaceful as Loray is, and she felt tears streaking down her cheeks as she beheld the life she had successfully given birth to. A daughter... her very own flesh-and-blood daughter. And then two years later, the little girl in her arms now was born without issue.

Lysithea brought Loray's face close to her own, slowly and tentatively as to not wake her, and squeezed her arms ever so slightly in a soft hug.

“Mommy loves you and your sister very much,” she whispered to Loray, barely audible. The baby made no motion in response save for her repetitive expanding and contracting of her chest.

Lysithea gave her child a peck on her temple before cautiously rising from her chair and approaching the crib, careful of her footfalls as to not disturb her daughter's slumber. She was getting sleepy herself, what with the midnight hour soon approaching, and there was more work to be done tomorrow. To accentuate her exhaustion, she mouthed a yawn just as she came up to the crib, though did not moan aloud as she did so. She dipped Loray into her bed and covered her up to her neck in her blankets. Smiling contently as she gazed one final time at her precious child, she headed over to the door and gently closed it behind her.

As she made her way toward her own chambers, she mentally recited to herself the plans for tomorrow. It would be another day of sitting at her throne alongside Byleth listening to the woes of the people as they came to them to seek aid, following up with a visit from Duke Aegir to speak about how the policy regarding public education he introduced was progressing. Thereafter would then be the private lunch for the royal family as she, her king, and their children would enjoy a quiet meal to ease their minds from the daily workload before resuming their duties. Byleth would then be traveling to the Gautier territory to discuss how to proceed with negotiations with the people of Sreng, while she would start to formulate a new tax law designed to be more balanced by ensuring that the nobles would pay their fair share. Undoubtedly it would cause a stir among some of them, but if Fódlan was to move away from the stagnant society that it once was she was going to have to get under some peoples' skin.

Still, it was to their benefit that their friends from her class year had inherited their respective Houses after the war. While their attentions were primarily focused on their own territories, they were implementing the changes brought on by her and her husband with relatively little in the way of objections. Having been a part of the former Fódlan culture, they agreed that change needed to be brought about to make Fódlan less obsessed with Crests and more fair to the general population while also moving away from the Church of Seiros's rigid doctrine regarding its isolationist scripture. The Church's power had weakened greatly thanks to the now Archbishop Seteth working in tandem with the monarchy, and gradually it was becoming nothing more than a religious institution with no overreach.

Despite the stresses that her position brought, she admitted that it was a constructive use of her time and the knowledge she accumulated over the years. Helping to bring about a new Fódlan was once something she never considered no matter how much she felt it needed it, but with a new life in front of her after being cured of her Crests she once wondered what she would end up doing with it. Fortunately, Byleth had provided a path, one that she gladly follows alongside the man who saved her life. She may have had to spend time teaching him about politics, economics, and other topics for those with positions of power like theirs, but he had been learning fast. There were times where he deferred to her judgment on certain matters and even argued about how to proceed with one policy or another on occasion, but at the end of the day they would still come together and either sleep their worries away, or end up engaging in passionate lovemaking.

She was brought out of her thoughts as she approached the door to her chambers. Byleth by this time had already fallen asleep, exhaustion having overtaken him after meeting with Viscount Kleiman about returning sovereignty to Duscur, something the latter was proving difficult to settle with. She reached for the handle and pushed one of the double doors open quietly to avoid disturbing his rest.

Upon the full view of their chambers entering her vision, she stopped dead in her tracks as she beheld a frightening sight. There, across the room, was another person, a short girl with incredibly long, emerald hair and an intricately designed blue gown was staring out the window toward the night sky... while floating... and translucent.

The apparition must have either heard her opening the door or sensed her presence, for she turned around to see who had entered, only to notice Lysithea staring back at her, mouth agape, and skin growing pale as she held a vice-like grip on the door handle.

“Ah, there you are,” said Sothis, unconcerned about the way the queen appeared to be terrified of her presence in their room. “All through putting the little ones to bed, are we?”

The only response Sothis received from the terrified woman was a series of struggling gasps that were caught in her throat as Lysithea could not form words. Her arms began to tremble as her grip tightened even further, her fight-or-flight instincts attempting to kick in, but her fear held her in place, her mind unable to process what to do, and her body paralyzed along with it.

“What is wrong with you?” pouted Sothis, slowly losing her patience as she crossed her arms over her chest, agitated by the lack of response from her question going unanswered. The queen only continued to shiver in fright as her pupils narrowed and her free hand went up to cover her mouth. That was when Sothis recalled something that could shake the queen to her core, and a smirk crossed her face. “Are you going to answer me? Or will you just stand there gaping like some dumbstruck child?”

The moment the accusing word left her lips, Lysithea's senses were knocked back instantaneously, body going perfectly still. The look of terror on her face left just as quickly, to be replaced by a scowl, her blood beginning to boil as her hands balled into fists.

“Excuse me?!” she blurted out, before quickly covering her mouth upon realizing that she might have woken her husband. The man in question did not stir, and she closed her eyes briefly in relief before continuing in a more hush tone. “Have you looked in a mirror lately?! You're practically half my age! If I'm a child, what does that make you?!”

“What impertinence!” Sothis exclaimed, eyes going wide with offense. “I am at least several thousand years older than you are! Compared to me you are not even an infant!”

Lysithea crossed her own arms, the fear having left her at this point and was feeling more incredulous than anything now. Even so, it was hard to go on the offensive with her voice having to maintain a low volume while her opponent could be as loud as she wanted to. “You could have fooled me.”

“Do you not know who you are speaking to?!”

The queen nodded. “You're the goddess Sothis, who resides within my husband's head.” Lysithea did a quick scan of the deity. “I thought you would be taller... and more mature for your age.”

Sothis traveled so close to Lysithea to stare her in the eyes that their faces were nearly “touching”. The queen could see the indignation in her eyes, a look that she knew all too well from the many times she made such a face. “Need I remind you that were it not for my powers, you would not be here to wag your tongue at me.”

Lysithea felt her skin grow cold as she looked appallingly at the goddess. Who knew that the deity that the Church preached about so much was a sharp-tongued, underhanded being? “That is low of you.”

Sothis smirked. “The truth is always bitter to those not wishing to hear it. A little gratitude for that aid would be appreciated.”

Lysithea could only glare at her. “It might have been your powers, but you were not the one to wield them. That honor goes to Byleth.” Her blood began to boil again, and now she was baring her teeth at the audacity that the goddess asked for her gratitude. “And how dare you ask for gratitude from me! Where were you when my family was made to suffer for trying to aid those in need?! Where were you when my siblings cried and begged for their torture to stop?! Where were you when my parents prayed endlessly to save me and all the other Ordelian children from Those Who Slither in the Dark's cruelty?!”

Sothis was taken aback by the fire and the turnabout that the queen was delivering before her. Byleth never talked this way to her before, nor any other person that she could recall, yet the mortal before her was making her eat her own words. She had to admit that when it came to verbal combat, she had met her match, and at this point they were well beyond the conversation she wanted to have with the woman.

But Lysithea was not finished as beads of tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Her voice was loud now, no longer concerned about her husband's rest as bottled up feelings toward the goddess unleashed now that she was before her. She never thought she would ever get the chance to confront the goddess about the subject, and she wasn't about to waste the chance. “You were never there! You were too busy sleeping away in Byleth's head, and I don't care about the circumstances as to why! Everything the Church has preached about you was nothing but a lie! And you come here expecting gratitude from me?! You will receive none!”

Sothis could only stare back in bewilderment at the livid woman as she huffed at her. She knew of the queen's terrible upbringing from listening in when she revealed it to her host years ago, and she was beginning to see that the queen never had an opportunity to vent. She understood her anger at her, the thought of feeling betrayed by someone preached to be so venerated, and though she wanted to retort, she was not foolish and knew when to concede, especially as she did not want to make the situation worse. The queen was coming from a place of hurt, but she still needed to say something to calm her.

“Damn me to the eternal flames for 'wagging my tongue' if you must,” Lysithea went on, her breath becoming more controlled as she finished. “But I will not apologize for what I said.”

Sothis let out a defeated sigh before smiling at her. “I can see why he is smitten by you. You are a very brave woman to be lashing out at me. The Church would likely not take too kindly to hearing your blasphemous words.”

Lysithea huffed, though not at her this time. “It's not as though they can do anything about it.”

“True enough. You and that fool have done wonders to render them impotent. I wonder what Seiros would think of the Church now if she were still alive...” Sothis closed her eyes for a moment to speculate before opening them again, more focused than before. “But more to the point, I cannot apologize for their words regarding me, as I had no say in it. I understand why you would feel this way, of how you were led to believe that the goddess would come to those in need, and how those beliefs were betrayed. I apologize for disappointing you and your family in their time of crisis, despite my inability to do anything about it, given the circumstances I find myself in.”

Goddess that she was, Sothis had come to remember that she was a mother to many children, and like any mother she knew when someone needed comforting words, rather than to continue the argument. She knew without a doubt that the queen's predicament was never her fault, and she had a right to be angry, misdirected as it was. The Church had built her up to be kind to her followers, wrathful to sinners, and protect those who held her in their hearts and minds. It was inevitable that some would feel betrayed when the worst happened and she did not respond, as the queen and the late Emperor could attest to.

“You're right about that,” Lysithea admitted, her voice calming somewhat as she relaxed her posture. “It was not as if there was anything you could do about it.”

“And yet, I offer an alternative. A more positive view of your terrible time.” Sothis could see Lysithea was about to go off on how there could be any positives about it, but she held up her hand. “Before you lose your temper again, consider this: would you and he be as close as you are now were it not for your atrocious experience?”

Lysithea paused as her eyes went wide. It was a question that had been on her mind before, as far back as the first time they made love on the day of their first anniversary. She had wondered before how she and Byleth would be if she had a more normal childhood, bereft of experimentation. A broader question was whether she would have been a different person entirely were it not for that horrible time.

“Well...” she could not find an answer as the thoughts danced around her mind, a series of “what ifs” flooding it so much that she could not form a solid response.

Sothis sighed. “Come now, I know you have thought of this before. Your circumstances, while different in many ways compared to his, are ultimately what brought the two of you together. You and he were used for someone's greater purpose, both of your lives forever changed by them and the Crests they imparted to you. Would you be as diligent a pupil as you were if it were not for your Crests? Would you and he have ever met?”

Lysithea's eyes flashed at the idea of potentially never meeting him. Being acquainted with Byleth's own circumstance, it was possible he could have been another Knight of Seiros if it were not for Rhea's meddling. His unique strangeness that that meddling brought was a major reason why she was drawn to him in the first place.

“It is impossible to know for sure,” pointed out Lysithea. “What's done is done. And yet... you're right. I have wondered if either of us would be different today if it weren't for us being pawns to someone's asinine plan.”

“As horrible as it was for you,” continued Sothis. “It is through your traumatic time that brought you and he closer together. It allowed you two to form an inexorable bond.”

Lysithea admitted to herself that the goddess had a point. At first her draw to Byleth was his unusual behavior, and his dedication to his students, but after she learned of how he carried the Crest of Flames, along with the goddess merging with him and changing his hair and eye color, she desired to know if he himself might have the subject of someone's experiment. At the time he did not know the answer, but before their fight with Nemesis he discovered that he was, and it confirmed to her why she felt such a pull toward him. While they were under different conditions, ultimately both of them were intended for some “greater goal” that never bore complete fruition for either of their tormentors.

“How do you know of that?” Lysithea questioned with a suspicious raise of her brow. “I never told Byleth about my past until the war, after you merged with him.”

“In truth, I never left him,” Sothis turned and floated toward Byleth until she was hovering next to him. “Otherwise... you and I would not be having this conversation.”

Lysithea immediately knew what the goddess was referring to. “The First Battle of Garreg Mach...”

Sothis nodded and furrowed her brows. “Were it not for my intervention, this fool of a man would have plunged to his death.” She flicked at his nose, but in her ephemeral form all her finger did was pass right through him. “Honestly! It is just like him to charge recklessly into danger without a sensible thought crossing his mind! So I had to wait and watch for him to recover, and what does he say to me when it was time for him to rise? 'I'm still sleepy'! As though he were a child refusing to get out of bed!”

Lysithea recoiled in her spot as she heard the goddess call Byleth a child. That was the first time she heard anyone call him that, and she wondered just how he would have taken it had he been awake. There must have been more going on between the two of them than she realized if she spoke of him so flippantly.

“So all this time you were still there...” Lysithea pondered aloud, pinching at her chin in contemplation. “Were you still helping him afterward?”

“No,” answered Sothis, shaking her head and her voice losing its edge for the time being. “For all the time that I have watched him, I noticed how he was always being led by others, and going along with whatever they decide. Even after we joined together, I continued to observe and listen, my consciousness still aware of what was happening. Always relying on others, even myself I realized, and I wished for him to follow his own path, and make his own decisions.”

Sothis scanned the room, looking upon the trappings of their position, her expression nonchalant. “Yet even now he still follows the whims of others. It was not his choice to become a king, and I found myself wanting to lash out at him every so often, but had to stay my hand for his sake. He was like a boulder, always being pushed around by others to go in the direction they want him to.”

Lysithea wanted to argue in his favor, but as she quickly recollected she reluctantly agreed with the goddess. From what she could recall he really was being guided by others throughout his life, whether it was his father handling everything while he was still a mercenary, Rhea's influence over him, to even Claude practically grooming him for the position that he was in now.

“And yet...” Sothis continued, now looking at her with a genuine, but small, smile. “When it came to your condition, he decided for himself that day that he would stop at nothing to see you saved, no matter how much you tried to dissuade him.”

She remembered that day well. The day she opened up about her past to him, the cruel experimentation she went under while her former House was occupied. She didn't really know what sort of reaction to expect out of him although she worried that it would be the same as she assumed of everyone else: pity and sadness for her. Instead, he surprised her with how determined he was to see her life restored despite the odds not being in their favor, but she never realized until now there was a deeper meaning to it.

“I was proud of him that day. It was a noble goal of his, despite how impossible it sounded, but I felt a fire in his stone heart that I had not felt before from him.”

“You know,” said Lysithea, as she calmly strode toward her bed to stand next to Sothis. She gazed at her husband, somehow still sound asleep through all the commotion. “Back then, I was confused as to why he wanted to help me so much. There was no precedent to removing Crests, and even when I tried to persuade him not to, he adamantly went forward with it. Did he... have feelings for me, even then?”

It was a question she had on her mind for sometime now, never having once asked him as, until now, it never seemed important enough. Yet here in the presence of someone who knew his thoughts and feelings as intimately as he did, Sothis could answer that for her without the embarrassment that it might bring.

“He did,” she answered, causing Lysithea to sharply turn her head to her as her heart jumped. “Though he did not comprehend it fully at the time. I could say he was dense, but that would be untrue. He simply did not know what it was, and it wasn't until he discussed it with Cichol did he find out the truth. Before that, it was only because he refused to give up on you. After his revelation, it was also because he did not want to let you go.”

The queen redirected her focus on her husband's visage with soft eyes. Even before he confessed his feelings to her after the war, even before they shared a kiss at the Great Bridge of Myrddin after Gronder Field, he had felt that way about her during it. It would certainly explain why he felt so intensely about wanting to save her. At first she thought it had more to do with their prior relationship of professor and student, and with him it might have been that originally... or it could be that he did actually do it out of love, but didn't realize it. And now that she had confirmation about it...

Against her better judgment, she placed one of her hands to cup his sleeping face, smiling warmly and wishing his eyes were open. “Byleth...”

She could feel her own eyes getting damp as gazed at him. To know that he cared for her so deeply that he was willing to go against all odds and see her restored, that it was also a conscious decision of his own without any coaxing from others... well, it certainly made her feel special. It was a good reminder of how much he had done for her, even before they started working together to find a way to free her. Though there were the rare times where they clashed, she never once doubted her own feelings about him, and after listening to Sothis, she was comforted to know that he never doubted his.

Yet something still puzzled her, and she looked up at the goddess who was lazily lying above him, resting her chin on her arms. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“I believe actions speak louder than words,” she answered as she kicked her legs back and forth.“However I also believe that those words still need to be spoken. But more importantly, it is my way of expressing my gratitude to you for being the one that allowed him to think for himself for a change. Really now, he needs to stop with everyone pushing him around so much.”

Lysithea nodded and removed her hand from his face. “Especially Claude. Byleth has said that the man is his best friend, but since when do best friends manipulate the other to sway them to do exactly what they want?”

“You don't know how many times I wanted to shout at him to stop falling for that charlatan's honeyed words! It was vexing having to hold my own!”

“I admire your restraint. I have learned how to control my temper when around him, but there are times when he can still get to me.” She didn't think it necessary to say aloud, but she did also get a joy of hearing Claude being called a “charlatan” by the goddess herself.

“Speaking of restraint, it would be wonderful if you were to keep your voice down during your love-making sessions. It makes it difficult to sleep when you're screaming like a banshee.”

It took a moment for her statement to register, and when her eyes went wide and jaw dropped at the pointed comment Sothis grinned from ear to ear.

“Wh-what?!” Lysithea burst, face going flush red at her utter mortification. She recoiled in her spot, aghast that someone was there with the royal couple in their most private moments. “You were watching us all this time?!”

“Hearing,” she corrected, and somehow unbothered by it. “Not watching. How else do you think I knew about your ponderings regarding your bond? You brought that up after your consummation.”

Lysithea was suddenly feeling far too hot in her own clothes, the sheer embarrassment overwhelming her of how the goddess was listening to them having sex this whole time. And that she was talking about it so coolly only made her more upset. “Why would you tell me this? I didn't need to know that!”

Sothis's grin turned more sly. “While I did understand your anger earlier, next time you should direct it at those that misinformed you about me.”

“I didn't need to know that! That's-! I-!” So flabbergasted and humiliated that Lysithea couldn't form the words to properly convey them. The queen looked back and forth between her king and the smug goddess before her, the deity feeling quite proud of herself for dropping that fact to the person that had the funniest reactions when teased. The satisfaction it brought her was immense, especially given how snippy the mortal before her was earlier. “You are just the worst! How I am ever supposed be intimate with him again knowing you're spying on us?!”

“Calm yourself, will you?” Sothis assured her. She “sat up” and held out her hand, and instantly conjured a series of rings interlaced with the various Crests symbols and magical scripture appeared before it, with the Crest of Flames glowing brilliantly at its center. “It was just my method of teaching you a lesson. You won't remember it, don't worry, but your reaction and the look on your face is something I will enjoy for years to come.”  
\-----

“I admire your restraint. I have learned how to control my temper when around him, but there are times when he can still get to me.” She didn't think it necessary to say aloud, but she did also get a joy of hearing Claude being called a “charlatan” by the goddess herself.

“Oh believe me,” replied Sothis, back in her prior pose from before and flowing right back into the conversation seamlessly. “There are times that I had to voice my displeasure with him. He can be such a fool at times.”

The queen would never remember the utter humiliation of the fact that Sothis can hear them in their most private times. The goddess knew exactly what she was doing by mentioning it, a way to bring some self-gratification after having to endure the queen's misdirected anger. She knew the harm it would bring by planting that thought into Lysithea's head, and because the powers she bestowed upon Byleth years ago were hers as well, it was a simple matter of turning back time to remove the problem before it started. Her reaction was punishment enough, and she would be the only one to know it ever happened.

Sothis stretched her ghostly limbs and let out a yawn. “Well then, I really must be going now. I grow weary, and the hour is late.”

Lysithea glanced out the window to see the full moon high in the sky. “It certainly is...” She faced the goddess again, this time a smile gracing her face. “Thank you for what you told me. And despite our rough start, it was nice to meet the goddess.”

Sothis gave her a satisfied smile. Nice to be shown a little gratitude now, if for different reasons. “And you have my thanks for bringing about a change in him that I always wished to see.” She sat up once again to rest her cheek on her fist, pensive about what she was going to notify the queen of. “This will be the only time I will speak with you. You have your duties to attend to, and I do not wish to interfere in what plans you and he have for Fódlan. It is time for it to be guided by someone else's hands.”

Lysithea did not respond immediately, saddened somewhat that this was only conversation she would ever have with the goddess, but she understood her reason for it. “We will certainly continue to do our best to change things for the better.” She looked down at her feet momentarily before looking again at her husband, stern yet confused, causing Sothis to raise a curious brow.

“What is it?”

“There is something I still don't understand. I have not been keeping my voice as quiet as I should have, yet he never once woke up.”

Sothis giggled confidently. “I have always had an influence on him since he was born. I am the cause for his lack of emotions for most of his life, but now after our second merger I've found I can influence him further. I choose not to, but I am the one who has kept him pleasantly asleep throughout our conversation.”

Lysithea crossed her arms and scowled. “I should be alarmed that you can actually control Byleth like that, but in this case it was helpful. As long as you don't do it again.”

“Ah, well, there is not much you can do about that I'm afraid,” the goddess teased, once more causing Lysithea to bare her teeth indignantly and the goddess to chuckle at her predicted reaction. “I jest. It would be very hypocritical of me to do so after everything I have said tonight.”

“Thank you.”

Sothis nodded. “And now, I bid you good night, and farewell. Please continue to take care of him, and to expect the same from him.”

In mere moments, she was gone as she faded out of sight, and for the queen, never to be seen again. Now she was alone once more save for her sleeping husband, who lay face-up with mouth slightly agape, the sheets covering his chest steadily rising and retreating with each quiet breath.

Of all the things she could have expected to happen in her life, a heart-to-heart with the goddess never crossed her mind. She was not at all what she expected her to be, what with her thoughts on the deity being influenced by the Church's description of her. Instead she came off as something of a wise grandmother figure inside a child-like body, with a wit that rivaled her own. It made interacting with her aggravating, yet at the same time it reminded her of herself from when she was a student. Speaking with her made the queen realize once more how abrasive her past behavior was, and her resolve to grow out of it as much as she could.

After a moment of introspection, she let out a quiet yawn herself as she felt the heaviness of a long day of work begin to come to her. Silently she walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in, doing her best to make as little movement as possible as she tucked herself in, glad she was already in her nightwear.

She snuggled up closely to Byleth to watch his sleeping form, smiling happily as she did. To think that the day they began their search for a way to remove her Crests was not only the day her life began to change once again, but that it was also when he took ownership of his own life. Becoming a king may not have been his own decision, but what he did with his position was, and it all started with his desire to save her life.

And he not only did it because he wanted to, but he did so out of love, even if he wasn't aware it was at the time. She always believed it to be the case since their first kiss that he held feelings for her, but to know that her feelings were requited for longer than she imagined was a comforting thought. Before now, it might have only worried her further back when she remained pessimistic about their chances of success, but her life had become the opposite of what it was before, and her retrospective thoughts changed with it.

After learning about more about that life-changing day, for the both of them, she was once more reminded of how happy she felt with where she was. The five years she thought she had left had passed, and she never felt better. She was changing Fódlan for the better, she was married to the man she crushed on, she had two beautiful little girls with him, and she would live to see them grow and become adults, and not leave them or Byleth, her very own family, behind.

She snuggled in as close as she could to him to rest a hand on his chest before leaning in slightly to kiss his cheek. Happy was not the word for it, she decided. She was... content.

“I love you,” she mouthed before closing her eyes and letting sleep overtake her. And to think she had learned all this from a ghost. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ends the battle of sass xD. I must admit I've always wanted to have these two sharp-tongued girls interacting with each other, and this prompt afforded me the chance to finally make it happen.  
> When it comes to the naming schemes of the children, I wanted them to have names that corresponded to who their parent would be if they were official. For Elara, the name originates the same way Lysithea's does in that both their names come from women that were bedded by Zeus in Greek mythology. For Loray, it was to keep in line with how Byleth's lineage is named, specifically how he is named after a demon, and his mother is too. Loray is an alternate spelling of Leraje, which is the next demon after Byleth (Beleth), who is after Sitri.  
> I got one more prompt for Bysithea week, so expect that soon!  
> PS: What's this about a second merger I wonder...?


	4. All Fun and Games...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The royal family heads out to the beach for a much needed vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a day late, but then this is also my longest (and last) submission for Bysithea week. Enjoy!  
> PS: Y'all are probably gonna hate me when you get to the end...

“Mama! Mama!” eagerly shouted the little girl as she attempted to drag Lysithea, urging her to move faster. “Come on mama! Over here!”

“I'm coming, Elara,” replied the queen, who felt the pull of her daughter on her arm, but her oldest did not have the strength to actually move her any faster than the walking pace she was in. Add the weight of the picnic basket she was carrying that was filled with their lunches, and the only effect Elara had on her was strain in that arm. “I know you're eager, but there's no need to tug on me.” The princess didn't seem to pay any attention to her mother's logic, far too gone in her giddiness to go to a spot on the beach she seemingly chose at random for the family to sit at.

Her little Elara was having her first ever family trip to the beach, though as Lysithea knew it was, in fact, a first for the whole royal family. It had been planned out ahead of time by the royal couple as a means to not only escape the hectic nature of their lofty roles, but to also be able to spend some quality time with their daughters without work getting in the way. The princesses had been enthusiastically waiting for the day to come, the first time they had ever even been to a beach and it showed on their faces how excited they were, smiles and giggles all around as they dragged their parents over to where Elara was looking, a seemingly random spot that she had chosen on her own.

Byleth was having less trouble with Loray, his own strength and weight playing a heavy counter to Loray's far smaller form, yet he allowed her to drag him along to give her the sense that her efforts were paying off. Which was good as he was carrying their umbrella in his free hand while their towels were rolled in a large bag slung across his shoulder.

“There, daddy!” Loray indicated, sticking out her free arm and pointing to where her sister was going. “Les go there!”

“Okay,” he answered pleasantly, a smile gracing his face as he was getting “pulled” by their youngest. “Guide me there, Loray. I might get lost.”

The children had grown remarkably over the years, with Elara now at the age of five, and Loray at three. Lysithea was pleased to see that the effects of her Crests on her hair did not pass down to either of her daughters. Instead, Elara had retained the light blonde color that she barely remembers ever having, while Loray sported the teal color that Byleth had before his fusion with the goddess.

The older princess's hair was of medium-length, neatly brushed and even, going to down to just above her shoulders with the ends styled to be curving upwards, and her bangs parted like opened curtains. Her eyes were pink much like her mother's, though were a little more flushed compared to the queen's pale ones, her cheeks were dotted with faint freckles, a trait that she had inherited from grandmother. She came up to about her mother's waist level, with most of her body currently being covered by a one-piece swimsuit that was as white as snow, decorated with lilac frills that traced themselves like a “V” around her waist, and in a ring around her shoulders.

Loray's hair was longer in a sense, though with the braided hair that arc over her scalp like a band it gave the impression that it was shorter than it was. Her eyes matched that of her father's, both with what he had before, and what he has now, surprising both parents when they discovered that condition. She was about a head shorter than her older sister, and wore a similar swimsuit as her, save for the colors that were black in color, and the frills more a sky blue that gave the impression they were glowing.

Perhaps most interesting about both of their appearances was that their hair blended into a lime green color not unlike that of their father's hair. It was a curious shift in color that could only be answered by the fact that Byleth's blood was forever altered by his mergers with Sothis. When they discovered this change, they sought out Seteth for his insight, and he concluded they were, in a sense, half-Nabatean as a result of Byleth's unique situation, and much like he and Flayn, made it known through the coloration of their hair, though their ears remained human-shaped.

She herself was wearing a one-piece much like her daughters, colored not unlike her normal dress, with soft lavender making up most of it with milky white trim, complete with separated golden armbands that were designed the same way as the hem of that dress that had thinly veiled sleeves that were attach to bands on her wrists. The brooch she wore with that dress was, in this case, a copy now in the form of a necklace, though it lacked the strap that went down most of her torso. Different from her daughters, she was walking through the sun-kissed sand with tan sandals with straps that came up to her ankles and each complimented with a tiny golden brooch on either side.

Meanwhile her husband's outfit was a bit more ordinary, with jet black trunks that went down to just above his knees, held snugly by a strap with a tassel above his thigh, with the Crest of Flames branded on the bottom of either side that capped a reddish-pink stripe going down. For whatever reason, he brought his dagger along with him that was strapped around his waste which, while it kept in theme with how he always had it, she felt as though it was unnecessary for a trip to the beach. He wore sandals along with her, though his were more plain in that they didn't come any higher than the bottom of his ankles, with somewhat thicker straps crossing over his feet. Finally, he was wearing an open short-sleeved shirt that match his trunks, revealing the toned muscle and abs that was normally hidden underneath, enticing Lysithea to sneak peeks when she thought he wasn't looking.

With his chest exposed, it also revealed the burnt scar that otherwise only she, and now their children, knew of. Ordinarily she would be concerned about others possibly seeing it, the most unique blemish on his body that was at the same time lined with battle scars here and there, but fortunately for them they had chosen a more secluded place to partake in their family outing. Without a retinue of guards surrounding them, they had privately come to the Rhodos Coast, bereft of other people as those that would visit were confined to pilgrims wishing to pay their respects to Cichol, even though the royal couple knew the truth of the saint's identity. They wanted to enjoy their outing privately, and visiting one of the beaches back in Deirdru bore the possibility of attracting too many interested people in disturbing them. Busy as they were most of the time, the couple wanted to at least have some semblance of a normal family life.

Elara broke off from her grip and jogged over to the random spot she discovered before swiftly turning to her mother. She hopped gleefully in place, a bright smile shining as bright as the afternoon sun that was missing one or two teeth.

“Right here, mama!” she shouted. “This is the bestest spot on the beach!”

“'Best' spot, Elara,” corrected Lysithea. “Remember to use actual words no matter where you are.”

Her daughter looked tilted her head pensively. “I'm sorry, mama...”

Lysithea could already feel her heartstrings being tugged at Elara's reaction, unable to stand when her eldest felt that way. It was a constant struggle she lived of wanting to have her children have a better childhood than she did, while also raising them to be proper as their position demanded.

She came up to her daughter and set down the picnic basket she had been carrying before getting down on her knees to face her daughter at eye level.

“I'm not mad at you, Elara,” she assured her. “I just want you to grow into a fine and respectful girl, that's all.”

Elara shifted her feet hesitantly in the sand. “But... I can still call you 'mama', right?”

Lysithea gave her a warm smile. “Of course you can. One day I know you'll grow out of it, but for now I would very much like for you to keep calling me that.”

Elara let out an excited cheer before throwing her arms around her mother, the latter of which reciprocated the embrace. The idea that Elara would one day grow up to be an adult saddened her, but knew it would happen eventually. At least for now she would enjoy the time she had while she was still very young.

“I love you, mama!” said a happy Elara, wanting to continue to take full advantage of her mother's permission.

“I love you too, Elara. Now come on, let's move aside so we can let daddy set up for us.”

She did as she was asked, moving with her mother as Byleth and Loray arrived to the designated area. As Byleth let go of his daughter's tiny hand, he kneeled down and placed both the umbrella and the bag of towels on the ground.

“Come on, Loray!” chimed Elara, rushing over and taking her sister's hand into hers. “Let's go play in the sand while we wait!”

“Yeah!” she delightfully agreed with a bright smile. “Play in sand!” The two girls dashed off a short distance away, but not before Loray tripped and fell over, unused to the density of the ground beneath her while unaided. Lysithea felt a moment of anxiety hit her before she calmed herself upon seeing her youngest get right up and giggle.

“Sand is soft!” she declared before trying to dig her feet into it and wriggle her toes to watch it sink right back to where it was. Elara dropped down to her hands and knees and did the same with the former, scooping up handfuls of warm sand to watch as they slide between her fingers in awe.

“They are so easily amused...” mused Lysithea, though not at all displeased with watching her girls be so fascinated with something so simple as watching sand slide in the spaces between their digits. It was so adorably innocent to watch, and wish she and her own parents had moments like this.

“It is the first time they've seen sand before,” pointed out Byleth as he speared the umbrella into the sand. He briefly glanced to see his daughters' antics before going to unstrap the flaps on the pole. “It's cute too.”

“It is...” Her voice was small with a streak of melancholy laced in her voice as she looked upon her joyful girls trying to sink their feet as deep as they could in the sand, presumably to see who could go the deepest.

“Something wrong?” questioned Byleth, picking up the pensiveness in his wife's tone.

“I just think about how much I will miss their innocence once they grow older.” She took her own scoop of sand into hand, and let it slowly pass through gaps between her fingers. Her brows knit as the grains returned to whence they came. “As princesses they will have to undergo an education to prepare them for their roles as Fódlan's future rulers, especially Elara. I will miss seeing them like this, so full of life and wonderment, the kind of behavior I never knew of.”

Byleth pushed the flaps up after unbinding them, creating a large amount of shade that would be more than enough to shield all four of them from the sun's rays. “You're worried they're growing up too fast.”

Lysithea looked quizzically at her now empty hand before realizing that that was the heart of the matter to her. “Yes. I want them to be fine adults when the time comes of course, yet I also want them to enjoy a childhood I never had...” She shook her head. “I guess I'm letting my own life experience get the better of me when it comes to that. I know my worries can't be helped. It's not as if they will remain children forever, but watching them grow up is a little sad in a way.”

The king came over and knelt beside his wife, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “We can't stop time from flowing forward. I know that's ironic of me to say, but I understand your worry. It is sad, but seeing what they will become in the future is exciting in its own way. I look forward to watching them grow.”

Lysithea looked back at her daughters again, who were now pouring sand down their swimsuits and giggling at the tickling sensation it brought them. She shook her head again, but gazed lovingly at her two most precious miracles. “As do I. I'm sorry my love, don't worry about me. I'm just being sentimental is all.”

He gave her a kiss over head before standing up and loosening the bag with the towels. Noticing this, Lysithea stood and walked over to him. “I'll lay out the towels for us.”

Byleth handed her the rolls of cloth, knowing full well how his wife did not want others to do all the work for her, especially if it was possible for her to contribute. While she did so, he stepped over to the picnic basket and brought it underneath the shade at the base of the umbrella before walking out of the cover of the shade and cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Loray! Elara!” he called out to them, bringing the young girls attention toward the sound of their names being shouted. “Time for lunch!”

Their faces lit up at the sound of lunch being ready for them, and they hurriedly went over to rejoin their parents, with Loray falling over again and Elara briefly coming back to help her little sister get on her feet again. Once upright, the two made their way back and sat down on different towels, with Elara joining her mother on one, and Loray with her father on the other.

The queen brought out a number of sandwiches that were packed with ham, cheese, and cabbage leaves, much to her mild disdain. They were a recent invention, created during the war by soldiers who needed to eat while on the go, and they quickly took off with the population, especially with her and the king's encouragement. Reginald, being their personal servant, had the basket prepared for them earlier in the day, and it was filled with them, along with with handkerchiefs to keep clean, waterskins to fill their cups with, and perhaps the best thing of all were the variety of flavored pastries that she anticipated. Thinking about what to expect after the main course was enough for her to salivate, but she had to withhold her desire at bay.

She handed over two sandwiches to Elara, and then four over to Byleth along with a knife to cut Loray's as she wasn't quite big enough to hold the whole item herself. Finally she brought out her own and took a moment to look at the green travesty that poked itself from under the slices of bread. Ordinarily she wouldn't dare touch the stuff, but ever since her Crests were removed and her babies were born, she's been having to eat a healthier diet than before. Her love for sweets never deteriorated, and in fact such a trait passed down to both her children, but she wanted to be sure her daughters understood that having a balanced diet would let them grow as strong as their father.

“What is this, mama?” asked Elara, holding her lunch in one hand and studying it curiously.

“It's call a sandwich, my sweet,” answered her mother. Across from them Byleth was already in the process of splitting Loray's sandwiches in half for her to better hold them.

“A sand witch?!” She flung her head from side to side. “Is it from here?! Is it gonna turn me into a lizard?!”

The queen heard her husband chortle and as he handed one half of Loray's meal to her, who only stared up at her father in concern upon hearing her sister misinterpret their mother. Lysithea gave Byleth a sharp look before answering.

“Not at all, Elara. It's just the name it was given by the person who created it. It's not magical, and it certainly did not come from the beach.” Elara still looked at her mother with some anxiety before turning her attention to her food. Lysithea decided a demonstration would be in order to dissolve her concern.

“Here. I'll show you it's safe to eat, honey.” Lysithea held her sandwich on either of its sides, her fingers slightly dipping into the soft beard. “All you have to do is hold it like this, and...” She brought it up to her mouth and braced herself for the inevitable crunch of green vegetable before she took a sizable bite out of it. Intermixed with the cheese and meat, she could taste honey inside of it as well for a dressing. Her lips curled into a small smile as hummed in delight and she chewed away at it, silently praising Reginald for remembering her and softening the blow of both the vegetable and the slightly salty taste of the meat. She would have to thank him once they returned.

Once the bite was small enough she swallowed it down and returned her attention to Elara. “See? There's nothing wrong with it. It even has honey in it too!”

Elara's eyes sparkled at the sound of that. “Honey?! Yay!” She took bite bigger than Lysithea was comfortable with as the elder princess lost herself momentarily. “Ifgh murma curgn eaf it, Igh canf oo!”

“Elara!” she said sternly. “What have I said about talking with your mouth full?! And that was too large of a bite for you!” She might have been a tad harsh, but she had instructed Elara before about properly eating, and she didn't want to see her daughter choking.

Yet Elara had already chewed through the bite halfway and could only look apologetically at her mother as she continued to break down the food into a more easily digestible size. Once she did and swallowed it down, she set her lunch down on her lap. “I'm sorry, mama...” Elara had seen how scary her mother could be when she sounded stern like that, and she didn't want her to be angry at her. “I just wanted to eat the honey...”

Lysithea quietly sighed in exasperation, understanding her daughter's eagerness for sweets and seeing a bit of herself in her from it. Off to the side Byleth and Loray were having an easier time, with the former keeping a careful eye on the latter, who was eating more slowly than her sister was as she savored the sweet taste of honey in her mouth.

“It's okay to be excited Elara,” soothed Lysithea. “But please remember to take smaller bites. You don't want to choke on your food.” Elara nodded solemnly, and Lysithea indicated over to her sister. “Loray has the right idea though. Eating more slowly allows you to savor the sweet taste of the honey for much longer than scarfing it down like a madwoman.”

The princess looked over and studied her sister as her jaw moved in far slower motions, the youngest eyeing her back in no particular manner as she chowed down on her meal. Elara then returned her attention to her own sandwich and smiled eagerly, bringing out another bout of an anxiety in mother before she heeded the latter's advice and took out a far more reasonable bite of her lunch. Lysithea smiled in content that her daughter did listen and returned to her own meal.

Throughout the rest of their meal there were no other issues as the family sat quietly among themselves and enjoying their luncheon, much different than what they were used to back at home, but it was times like these that made them feel more as an ordinary family. The daily lives of the royal couple were busy ones, neither of them ever suspecting long ago that this would be the path where their lives would lead. It didn't allow for as much time with their daughters as they would like, and both shared concerns about whether or not they were as involved as they should be.

Which was why they cherished these more normal moments in their lives, where they could leave their royal duties behind and simply be Elara and Loray's parents. In the back of their minds they still wanted to be sure that they adhered to the etiquette that was required of them given their positions, such as proper table manners, punctuation, responsibility, but otherwise for now they could let them be the kids that they were.

After several minutes of delving into their main courses, Lysithea brought out what she had been anticipating the whole time. From inside the basket she carefully pulled out several pastries and laid them atop it once closed. The princesses gazed upon the delicacies with sparkles in their eyes, leaning forward toward their dessert while propping themselves on their hands, letting out small gasps of amazement as they practically licked their lips at what they were about to enjoy. Lysithea didn't bother to tell them to wait patiently as she could barely contain herself, while Byleth sat with one leg bent and the other tucked underneath, not sharing his enthusiasm for the upcoming dessert nearly as much as his girls.

The mother handed over the sweets to her daughters before her husband, easy to see how excited they were and didn't want to keep them waiting any longer. Once all three had received theirs, it took some measure of restraint on her part to tear into her own pastries. The three girls brought the sweets to their mouths and took their first bites, humming with joy in unison as they let their divine gifts assail their taste buds. Byleth shook his head in amusement as he witnessed the chorus of elated hums while he partook of his dessert more casually.

Lysithea then proceeded onto her own dessert, humming in elation much like her daughters as the delicacy melted in her mouth. The morsel had been filled with a strawberry jam, and the sweetness and tart reached around every part of her mouth as she happily chewed away. She was glad that her daughters enjoyed sweets as much as she did, else it would have been very alarming for her if they were repulsed by the stuff, similar to how Felix once was before she managed to change his opinion on the matter. She might have done the same for her husband had he shown a dislike for them, but fortunately he had no qualms about sweets, even if he didn't share the same level of enthusiasm as she and their daughters did.

Once they had finished their desserts and after they had cleaned up after themselves, the family decided it was time to hit the water. The princesses were the first ones in as they gallivanted toward the waves breaking on the shore line. Neither parent made an effort to stop them, opting to let them be the children they were, and simply walked in after them hand-in-hand.

“Ah!” their daughters shrieked as they entered the water, causing both of their eyes to widen at what the problem might be.

“Water cold!” Loray commented, assuaging their slight concern away. The girls retreated somewhat, back to the point where the waves were only lapping at their ankles.

“It will get warmer,” answered Byleth just as he and his queen took their own chilled steps into the ocean. “Give it a minute or two, and enter slowly.”

Their daughters heeded his advice and this time cautiously entered the water after them, Elara holding onto Loray's hand as they did so. They squealed as they took their time getting back in, but they quickly grew accustomed to it, and soon they were again sloshing their way through the water, their bodies rising up a little every time a wave based by them.

“Mama! Papa! Look!” Elara called out to them once the water level was up to her chest. “My feet is off the sand!”

“That means you're floating, sweetie,” Lysithea explained as she came up to her eldest, her feet still firmly planted. “Don't go out too far now. You're not big enough to go deeper.”

Meanwhile Loray had the nifty idea to take a sample of water into her mouth. After all, she drank it every day so naturally it would still work when she was playing in it. She immediately spat it out once the briny taste hit her tongue, displaying it and gagging at her father who only smirked at her misfortune.

“Ewwwww!” she complained, exaggerating her disgust. “Why is dis water gross daddy?!”

“It's salty from all the fish much further away,” he answered. It wasn't the correct answer he knew, but it was one that Loray would at least be able to better understand.

“Fishies are gross...” she pouted, reminding her father about her odd repulsion of them, or at least when it came to eating them.

Suddenly Byleth felt a splash of water hit his body, sending a chill all across his skin at the unexpected attack. Elara was laughing at him as though it was the funniest thing in the world.

“Elara!” Lysithea responded with indignity. “That was very rude of you! Why did you-” Before she could chide her daughter further, a larger splash came upon her, coming up to her face and partially gluing her hair together. Her body also felt chilled from the sudden assault, and as she looked at her down at her dripping form in shock, both princesses were laughing while Byleth looked amused with himself.

“Relax, Lys,” he said. “We are here to have fun remember?”

She focused her attention at her husband with furrowed brows, and he began to wonder if she might actually be upset with him. That was when her frown transformed into a sly smile, and somehow it didn't make him feel any better.

“All right,” she replied, menacingly, “You asked for it.” Before Byleth could react, Lysithea swatted the water in front of her at him, dousing him even further than Elara had and getting it into his hair. Loray and Elara were both hit with residual droplets from their mother's splash attack, but seeing their father soaked brought a fit of giggles out of them.

Byleth returned fire now that his dread was unnecessary, soaking his wife as the briny water was flung up toward her face and causing her hair to shrink as it all became stuck together. When she tried to retaliate she found that he was trying to move away from her in an effort to avoid another assault.

“Where do you think you're going?!” she taunted, swatting another batch of water, only for it to mostly missed as she was too far away. Luckily for her, Elara had already chased after her father, using both her hands to push a wave of water at him, though not nearly as much as her mother could.

“I got him, mama!” Elara shouted.

“Well done, Elara!” replied her mother as she tried to close the gap between her and the king, only to be splashed at by her youngest, though it only managed to get her arm as she passed her.

“I help papa!” Loray declared, drawing a faux hurt look from her mother.

“Oh will you now?” challenged Lysithea, batting some of the water at her to have it come at her more as a sprinkle as to not overwhelm Loray. The little girl clapped at the water furiously, trying to do what she could to get her mother wet, while Lysithea chuckled and retaliated with the same effort as the first.

“Ah! Papa help!” She received her requested aid swiftly, as another splash of water drenched the queen from her side. Lysithea recoiled to the side as Loray cheered for her father's timely arrival.

“Sneaking up on me now?” Lysithea teased at him.

“You let your guard down,” remarked Byleth, only to answer with splashes off to his side from Elara.

“Protect mama!” she announced as she clapped splash after splash of water at the king. Byleth strode toward his oldest daughter with his arm up to shield his eyes before he came close enough and scooped the princess out of the water. The girl squealed in delight as he hoisted her into the air, her limbs flailing as she tried to futilely break free from Byleth's grasp.

“Unhand my little helper!” Lysithea lightheartedly demanded as she readied for another strike at Byleth.

“Okay, but first she needs to be dried off.” Byleth then began to spin around while cradling Elara, doing absolutely nothing to do as he promised, but nevertheless she laughed as the world started to circle around her. Lysithea retracted her arm and instead just stood by and chuckled to herself as she watched the display.

“I wanna go too, papa!” Loray interjected, holding out her arms for him to pick her up. Byleth set Elara down slowly back into the water in order to do so, and then scooped up Loray in the same manner and repeated the motions for her.

Elara stumbled a little as the dizziness settled in, with Lysithea reacting quick enough to hold her upright before she fell and have the water engulf her.

“I'm dizzy...” said Elara in a daze, doing her best to keep from slipping from her mother's grasp.

“That's bound to happen,” remarked Lysithea as she held up her daughter. “Was it fun though?”

“Uh huh! It was really fun!” Lysithea smiled at Elara at her enjoyment, before it was washed away from a small splash of water hitting her side. She flung her head over to see Byleth had dipped down whilst holding Loray, and it was the latter who attacked her this time in a pair-up strike.

“A team attack huh?” she said bemused. “Let's show them we aren't to be trifled with Elara!”

“Yeah!” So they war between Byleth and Loray, and Lysithea and Elara raged on, the two duos splashing each other to see who could get the most wet, with the children laughing and shrieking the whole time while the king and queen tried their best to one up the other.

All the while Lysithea found herself being exhilarated in a way she had not felt before. Devouring sweets had always been the easiest way of obtaining this kind of thrill, and learning something new brought a similar sense, but this feeling of just... letting go for a while, and simply playing around was something she had never truly done before. There was just no time for it before, not when she was so focused on her studies, or having to fight in the war. She wondered if this was what it was like to be a child.

It was moments like these that made her wonder as well what life would be like for the four of them if Byleth had not ascended to royalty. She entertained the idea about owning a sweet shop in Derdriu before, as she and Byleth would have become bakers, and their little girls would just be helpers that went to school and played in the streets rather than have the weighty responsibility of taking over for their parents once they stepped down. Such a life seemed impossible now, and there was no point in lamenting what might have been, only to live in the now and look forward to the future.

After several minutes of playing around with their daughters, Lysithea grew weary from the strain in her limbs and opted to retire back to their spot on the beach the rest. Byleth decided to go with her to ease her sore muscles, but the princesses, filled with the boundless energy that their age brought, wanted to keep playing, at least with each other. Lysithea acquiesced to them, but only so long as they stayed where they were and not venture out any further into the ocean. The two agreed, and the parents retreated back beneath the shade of the umbrella, no clear victor from their little aquatic battle, but none of them really caring.

Lysithea planted herself back on her prior towel, feeling the soreness in her arms and legs as she finally had a chance to relax. She brought one arm to the other and started to rub it as soothingly as she could, hissing at the same time as she did from the returning stress in the other.

“Allow me,” offered her husband, to which she nodded her consent. Even with all the training she had gone through with him and the demand that the war required, her body was less suited for the physical demand that water brought on, and perhaps the after effects of her operation still had an impact on her.

Byleth scooted over to her from his spot to come around behind and began to massage her arms up and down as she leaned back into him, sighing with delight as her washed the pain away. Luckily for her, Byleth was better used to such physical demand and so the resistance of water had much less of an effect on him.

“I guess my body is still suffering from some lingering effects of having my Crests removed...” she remarked with gloom, looking down at her tired legs, flexing her toes some to keep the feeling in her legs from going.

“You're not used to moving in water,” indicated Byleth. “There was never a need for it before.”

“True, but a part of me can't help but think that my physical weakness immediately after the operation is still affecting me today. I want to think it's as simple as you say, but like we have already well established, removing one's Crest, especially two of them, is unprecedented. We saw what the immediate consequence, and thankfully I have recovered from that, but we don't know what else I might have lost.”

She looked down in the gap between her legs with a sullen expression. “Losing the Crest of Gloucester affected my memory. Unlike when I was a student, I can't recall information I've learned as clearly now. Perhaps this weakness I'm feeling is from losing the Crest of Charon? It's not nearly as bad since it wasn't as powerful as its twin, but still...”

Byleth leaned his head in next to hers as her shifted his hands up to her shoulders. “You also gave birth to Elara and Loray too. You are very strong for doing so even after we removed your Crests.”

Lysithea smirked at the strangeness of her lethargy. “I fought in a war. You would think my muscles wouldn't get sore this easily compared to that.”

“It has also been some time since then. We aren't as demanding of our bodies as we used to be.” Byleth gave his wife a chaste kiss on the cheek, soothing her somewhat, yet also causing her to flinch and face to blush as he did so. “Your soreness could be from the lack of your Crests, or it could simply be exhaustion from being in water for the first time.”

“Maybe you're right,” she answered with a sigh. She fiddled at her fingers with a certain unease with it all. “I could be overthinking it, but the possibility is there. I suppose for now all we can do is wait and see if losing my Crests has any other residual impact.”

“Yes. Until then, just let me take care of you.” He ended his assurance suggestively, as he brought his hands away from her shoulders and down to her slick thighs, not some much as massaging them anymore as he was caressing them. Lysithea's blush intensified as she looked down at the way his rough hands were a little more inward than she thought they should be.

“B-Byleth!” she stammered, trying to act appalled, but couldn't help but crack her voice as the tingling sensation of his fingers sent electricity up through her body. “What are you -hah- doing...?!”

“Helping you relax.” He stated it so plainly that if anyone else heard it then they might have actually believed that, but she knew him better.

“Now isn't... ah... the best time!” she protested, though it took some force of will to say it. Despite his rough hands, she loved his touch as it was always with her pleasure in mind moreso than his own. Always gentle, passionate... She mentally slapped herself. This wasn't the time or place to be seduced.

“You don't like it?” he asked curiously, as though he had forgotten they were out in the open with their children nearby.

“It's not that I d...don't, but not when our children can see us.” As if on cue, one of the princesses was heading right back toward them, and they both immediately knew something was wrong.

Elara was crying loudly enough to swiftly draw their attention, Byleth at once ceasing his motions on Lysithea's thighs. Their daughter was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, the sun catching the tear droplets as they were flung down and away from her distressed face. Both parents could feel their blood pumping rapidly as thoughts raced through their heads. What happened to Elara? And more importantly, where was Loray?

“Mama!” Elara wailed as she came close to them, nearly tripping over herself as she did, but somehow managed to keep her footing. Her eyes were red and cheeks puffy as they got a better look at her now. “Papa! Mama!”

“What is it, Elara?!” Lysithea answered anxiously, her heart beat fast enough that she thought it might burst out of her chest. Their daughter practically tackled her to the ground, planting her small hands on her mother's shoulders, who naturally threw her arms around her. “Where's Loray?! Elara, where is Loray?!”

The princess could not answer her mother in such a state, unable to force out any words as she choked on her cries. Lysithea flung her head from side to side, scanning the waters for any sign of her lost daughter, panic starting to set in as she could not locate her.

Both parents stood up with a start, Lysithea holding Elara close to her as the princess continued to cry into her hip now. Lysithea clenched her teeth as her breathing escalated. Where was she? Where was she? She already lost one family; she couldn't lose another!

“Loray!” she called out, a desperate plea that her youngest was out there and able to hear her. “Loray!”

Byleth felt the flame in his chest ignite with a fury as it surged throughout his body. He only ever felt this feeling twice before, a sense of desperation and terror as something he cared for was on the verge of leaving him forever. His little girl was in trouble, and he cursed at himself for not keeping a closer eye on them. He wanted to know what happened, but now wasn't the time to make Elara feel worse.

“Loray!” he also called out over the cries of his weeping daughter, joining his wife in her search out over the waters for any sign at all of his little girl. “Loray! Lor-” Finally he spotted her, out further than Lysithea had told them, and the Crest Stone only raged more as his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

She was out there, upside-down, face in the water, and not moving.

“LORAY!!” Wasting no time, Byleth broke out into a sprint as he soared down the shoreline, suppressing his panic and replacing it with steeled determination. He was not going to lose another family member, not again.

Lysithea's eyes followed the direction her husband was going before they trailed further outward toward the sea. That's when she noticed her other daughter.

“NO!!! LORAY!!!” Panic and fear gripped at her, wanting urgently to run out there herself, but Elara never stopped crying into her. Tears were forming in her eyes now as she cried out in defiance as she watched a quarter of her world floating lifelessly in the water.

Byleth heard his wife cry just as his feet hit the water, barely hearing her over the sounds of his rapid breathing. The Crest Stone burned in his chest, sweat beaded on his skin.

_Not Loray. Not my daughter._

The water came up to his waist, and he dove the rest of his body into the sea. One arm over the other he swam to his daughter, begging Sothis that he wasn't too late, eyes focused on her and letting nothing distract him.

_Not Loray._

Closer he swam, yet the waves appeared to be cruelly carrying her away.

_Not my daughter._

He increased his pace, forcing his limbs to fight through the oceans efforts to stop him.

_I will not lose her._

She was getting closer now, nearly within reach.

_I can't let her die!_

He reached out and grabbed her. Wrapping her arms around him as best he could, he held on tightly to her hands and began his journey back to shore, only able to do so with one free arm. He struggled through the waves as they retreated from the shore, causing annoying strain on him as he sought to return to solid ground with the paternal instincts of protecting his child. He let the waves push him to his goal, and now he could see Lysithea and Elara had come out to where the waves kissed the shoreline.

Lysithea seemed to tell Elara something before she rushed out to him. Whatever soreness the queen had left in her was gone now, overcome by her parental desire to save her youngest. She needed to do something, anything. Standing around was useless when Loray needed her!

The two parents united once Byleth was able to adequately stand in the water, both of them carrying Loray as they trudged through what remained of the sea. They hurried back to Elara, who tried to get closer to Loray, but Lysithea had to restrain her.

“Just... just let your father handle this, Elara!” Lysithea ordered her as she held the princess back, one arm around her waist as the girl tried to push past her. It was difficult to make words as she choked back her tears. She couldn't lose her family. Not again.

“Loray! I wanna see Loray!” Elara pleaded to her mother, her sight only remaining on her unconscious sister. Her cheeks were stained with the trails of tears, and she could only partially make out her sister's form.

Byleth quickly studied Loray. It was like she was asleep, but her chest was not moving. He put his ear next to her open mouth. She wasn't breathing. He knew what he had to do.

He placed one hand on his daughter's chest, and the other hovered just over her mouth. Closing his eyes tightly, he thought of the incantation of his head, a spell he thought he'd never have to use again, and one that Lysithea made him swear not to. He was sure she would make an exception this time.

His hands went aglow with brilliant white light as he began to channel the Sacrifice spell from his “heart” through his arms. Magic alighted his veins as he felt his life force being slowly drained as the spell searched for the problem. As much as he wanted to speed it up, he had to do this right. It was Loray's life on the line, and he would rather die before letting her do so.

He felt a pulse in his hand. The magic reached the water in her lungs. Carefully in manipulated the hand of his mouth to coax the water to flow from them and up through her throat, the other hand keeping it from returning as they both worked in tandem. The briny liquid flowed out in a flat stream from her maw for a few seconds before it abruptly ended.

He placed both hands on her chest as he intensified the spell, needing to get her to start breathing again. He felt his strength slipping away further as he looked at his daughter's sleeping face, begging her to wake up, and for Sothis to not let her die.

_“You know I won't let that happen.”_

_Thank you._

_“But you and I will be having a long talk about this later, you imbecile.”_

The Crest of Flames reacted suddenly, and in a burst of light that nearly blinded him he felt a surge of energy flow from the Stone, through his arms, and out toward Loray as the white magic was mixed with mint green momentarily. He felt a sharp pain in his arms as power coursed through him, the spell greatly empowered by whatever Sothis had just done to him.

The three of them heard a loud cry from Loray as consciousness was restored to hear. She coughed and wailed at the same time as the shock and pain of what happened caught up with her. She didn't understand what happened with her, but right now the only thing she wanted was her parents.

“Loray!” Lysithea cried out, no longer restraining Elara and instead came over to her youngest and brought her swiftly into a tight embrace. “It's okay, Loray! It's okay. Mama's here.”

Elara joined her mother in hugging the princess, relieved that her sister was alive, yet also overwhelmed with a sense of guilt for having been too rough with her sister and almost accidentally ending her life.

Byleth was on his hands and knees as he slowly recovered his strength, his own relief washing over him like a tidal wave as he caught his breath, not realizing how much he had ironically been holding it despite his panicked breathing from before. He had done it. He did let not history repeat itself. He didn't watch his youngest daughter die like he had to with his father several years ago. He dreaded how Sothis was going to scold him, but that was minute compared to his daughter's life being saved.

The queen continued to hold on to Loray, adding Elara into her embrace as she tried to let her emotions settled down now that the storm had passed. Those tense moments brought back all sorts of painful memories of the other Ordelia children, the family that she lost so long ago. She nearly lost it again, but thanks to Byleth's swift actions, her other pride and joy would live to see tomorrow.

She felt the arms of her husband wrap around her and the other three as the family shed tears, needing to let it all out from what was the scariest part of their family life. She would try to find out what happened at a later point in time, questions that need to be answered, but one thing was for certain. This was the first and last time they were ever going to the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm cruel aren't I? I did that all because I wanted to establish a flaw that I will likely one day explore further on for the two princesses. But to give you an idea, both are going to be traumatized by that experience, with Loray developing hydrophobia, and Elara afraid of hurting her sister again that will lead to further problems between them.
> 
> As I said at the beginning, this will be my last entry for the week. I greatly enjoyed contributing to the week (though I apologize on leaving it on a less-than-happy note), and I look forward to having another week next year! Thank you all so much for reading, but don't think this will be the end for Our Long, Full Lives. As I said, if any one-shot ideas that I want to work with come up, I will be posting them here from now on.

**Author's Note:**

> Not what I consider the strongest of the prompts I did, but it was at least an idea I could run with. Expect more tomorrow!  
> Be sure to follow the Bysithea week account (https://twitter.com/BysitheaWeek) for artwork being contributed to it!


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